Dishwashing machine



w. L. LlNDGRE N DI$HWASHING MACHINE Filed Dec.

March 31, 1931.

5 Sheets-Sheet l Y NVENTOR;

a? I a BY 2'.

March 31, 1931.

w L. LINDGREN DISHWASHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 5, 1928 March 31, 1931. w L UNDGREN 1,798,428

DISHWASHING MACHINE I Filed Dec. 5, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I; ATTORNEY:

I W. L. LINDGREN DISHWASHING MACHINE March 31, 1931.

Filed DeC. 5, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR:

M; ATTORNEY.

March 31, 1931. w. 1.. LINDGREN 1,798,428

DISHWASHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 5, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Mar. 31,1931

UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE WALDEMAB L. LINDGREN, OF WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS, AISIGNOB OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN E. ERICSSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS DISHWASHING MACHINE Application filed December 5, 1928. Serial No. 323,876.

My invention is concerned with portable dish washers adapted to be used in a kitchen sink, or some similar place, and more especially with such a dish-washer .as 1s adapted to be removed from the sink-without disconnecting therefrom the spray pipes and connections by which water is supplied to the dish-washer.

To this end, it consists of a portable and to detachable conveyor carrying the gearing by which it is operated to carry dishes slowly through it, together with the spray pipes by which the soapy water and rinsing water are furnished permanently connected to the I sink faucet, and swiveled so that they can be swung parallel to and adjacent the back wall of the sink so as to be out of the way and leave it free for ordinary use.

It is further concerned with 'such a dishac washer in which an electric motor for operating it is permanently secured above the faucet, where it can remain in place when the conveyor mechanism of the dish-washer is removed, and be used to drive a flexible shaft which can have various kinds of brushes and rotating scrapers secured thereto to be used in cleaning, scouring and polishing pots and pans and kitchenware generally.

lt is further concerned with such a dishwasher that has its connections so designed that they can be adjusted and arranged to place the conveyor mechanism of the dishwasher either in the center, or to either side of the center, as may be necessary with different styles of sinks. 1

To these ends, it embodies certain novel elements and combinations of elements, all of which will be hereinafter fully described, and the novel features thereof particularly pointed out in the claims.

To illustrate my invention, I annex hereto five sheets of drawings, in which the same reference characters are used to designate identical parts in all the figures, of which,

Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal vertical section through the conveyor of my improved dish-washer as mounted in the center of a sink;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the motor,

spray pipes and connections, with the conveyor removed from the front of them;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig.2;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through a soap box, on the line 4& of Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is a central vertical section through the soapy-water sprays in the position they occupy when in use, but with the conveyor omitted, on the line 5-5, Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a similar view of the rinsingwater spray pipes, on line 66, Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a central vertical section on the line 77 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the flexible cover for the conveyor removed and spread out, with a portion thereof broken out;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the col lapsible wire frame by which the cover shown in Fig. 8 is supported;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the connections made for a sink where the conveyor has to be set to the right of the center thereof;

Fig. 11 is a top plan view of a portion of a conveyor belt;

Fig. 12is a portion of the conveyor belt illustrating a slight modification from that shown in Fig. 11;

Figs. 13 and 14 are vertical sections on the lines 1313 and 14-14, respectively, of Fig. 11;

Fig. 15 is a similar section on the line 15-15 of Fig. 12; and

Fig. 16 is a perspective view of one of the links of which the conveyor-belt chain is preferably composed.

- As seen in Figs. 1 and 7, the conveyor por-' tion of the apparatus is mounted in a frame consisting of two side castings 20 and 21, of 90 the general design shown in Fig. 1, and connected at their ends by the cross pieces 22, which may have the brackets 23 at each end, on which the supporting plates 24 are mounted, these plates being preferably 95 covered with rubber mats 25 to prevent the dishes slipping when the are delivered onto said mats. The two si e pieces 20 and 21 have three shafts 26, 27 and 28. journaled in suitable bearings therein, and the side frame 20 is also provided with the bracket 29 adapted to rest on the front edge of the sink when the conveyor mechanism is in place. The side frames 20 and 21 are provided near their upper edge with the horizontal inwardly projecting flanges 30, which serve to support the conveyor chains during their upper run. These conveyor chains, the preferable details of which, in their preferred form, are shown in Figs. 11 to 16, are in effect sprocket chains which cooperate with the pair of sprocket wheels 31, secured on the shaft 26 just inside of the side frames, and 32, similarly secured on the shaft 28 in the same location, and the single driving sprocket-wheel 33, shown only in Fig. 7, which is secured on the shaft 27 just inside of the frame 20. The conveyor chain or belt is preferably made up of a series of rods 34 which are connected together at their ends by the links 35, which are preferably constructed as best shown in Fig. 16, where it will be seen that each link has the enlarged central portion 36 of the elongated aperture 37, through which central portion the end 38 of the rod 34 may enter and then the link be secured in lace by shifting it to the position shown in igs. 11, 13 and 14, where the reduced portions or annular channels 39 ofthe rods 34 pass to the ends of the slots 37. With this construction, it will be obviousthat in case a link is broken it can be readily replaced, or the chain can be lengthened or shortened if occasion requires. 7

In order to hold articles such as knives, forks and spoons on the conveyor, I preferably form at equal distances from the ends thereof a series of annular channels 40 about which is wrapped a'loop 41 .of the endless connecting wires 42, which extend around the entire length of the conveyor belt or chain. As a modification of the same, I may employ the narrower annular channel 40, shown in Fi 12, and merely pass the wires 42 alternate y above and below the rods, as seen in Figs. 12 and 15.

If the shaft 27 be rotated slowly, it will be obvious that dishes, etc., placed on the upper run thereof, by firstplacing them on the mats 25 and then shoving them onto the belt or chain, will be carried slowly across the apparatus and subjected to the action of the spraying mechanism to be now described.

Referring now more especially to Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, the back wall of the sink 43 will have passing through it the pipes 44 and 45 for the hot and cold water, and on their outer ends,will be provided the customary connections 46 leading to the hot and cold water cocks 47 and 48, which are connected with the mixer 49 in the customary manner. The lower end of this mixer 49 has screwed thereon, as best seen in Fig. 7, the connection 50, which has .three arms 51, 52 and 53 leadin horizontally from thelower end thereo The arm 51 has at itsouter end the tapered valve sleeve 54, in which is mounted the tapered downwardly-projecting end of the discharge pipe 55, which" is held in place therein by the nut 56. This tapered end of the pipe 55 has the single outlet 57 therein located so that, when the pipe 55 is turned parallel to the rear wall of the sink, the water from the mixer cannot enter the pipe 55, but is shut off. When the pipe 55 is turned out at right angles to the rear Wall of the sink, then the outlet 57 is in register with the outlet in the valve seat 54, and the water can be delivered to the sink in the customary manner.

The arm 52 has the passage 58 (see Fig. 7 leading from the connection 50, and the lower end of the arm 52 is connected by a pipe 59 with the adjacent side of the connection 60 (see F igs. 2 and 5), which has the rearwardlyprojecting base member 61 furnished with a rubber block 62 secured to the rear side thereof and against the rear wall of the sink 43. The connection 60 also has the tapered valve seat 63, With which co-operates the tapered valve end 64 of the pipe 65 connected to the soap box 66 of the lower spray pipe 67. The valve end 64 is held in place by a nut 68 and a suitable packing washer 69, and its outlet is so located relative to the outlet 70 of the connection 60 that when the spray pipe 65 stands out at right angles to the rear wall of the sink 43 the water delivered thereto can flow out through the pipe 65, soap box 66 and spray pipe 67, to bethrown upwardly through the perforations 71 thereof to spray the under side of the dishes carried thereover by the conveyor. When the pipe 65 is turned parallel to the rear wall of the sink, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, then the Water is shut olf from the spray pipe and the sink can be used in the ordinary manner. The upwardly-projeeting arm 72 of the connection 60 has secured thereon, by a nut 73, the pipe 74, which terminates at its upper end in the tapered valve seat 63, which co-operates with the tapered valve end 64 of the supply pipe 65, which is held in place by the nut 68. The soapbox 66 and spray pipe 67 are similar to the lower ones except that they are re-.

versed in position, so that the Water escaping through the perforations 71 falls downward on the tops of the dishes passing beneath the same.

The arm 53 has an outlet similar to the outlet 58, and has connected therewith the downwardly-extending pipe 75, similar to the pipe 59 but somewhat shorter, and with its lower end turned in the opposite direction to enter the side of the coiinection 76, similar to the connection 60, and having the rinsing spray pipe 77 journaled therein and corresponding to the pipe 65 plus the pipe 71, and having the perforations 78 in its up er side, the soap box being omitted for t 's spraying 2'80 in which the top spray pipe 81 has its valve fend mounted in the same manner as the spray pipe 65, except that the valve-seat portion is directed rearwardly, instead of forwardly. The upper rinsing spray pipe 81 has perforations 82 on its under side, and it will be obvious that when the pipes 7 7 and 81 are projected at" right angles to the sink 43, they will spray water upwardly and downwardly upon the dishes passing between them, and likewise that when they are turned parallel to the rear wall of the sink, the water supply thereto will be shut off.

I The pipes 74 and 79 have secured thereon by set screws 83, the bracket arms 84 having the, upwardly-turned ends which fit into recesses 85 formed in the outer ends of the brackets 86 pro'ecting rearwardlyfrom the top of the side rame 21 to support that side of the conveyor mechanism, the other side being supported by the bracket 29, as seen in Fig. 7. The mixer 49 has projecting upwardly from the center of its upper side the rod '87, on the upper endof which is secured, in either one of two apertures, the dish 88 f ordinarily used as a soa dish. To brace this dish 88 so that it may orm an adequate support for the small electric motor 89 placed therein, I add the bracket 90, the lower end of which has a vertically-extending aperture through which the rod 87 passes, said lower end being split and the two parts secured together by the screws 91, seen in Fig. 2.

The upperpart of the bracket 90 preferably forks, as seen in Fig. 2, and'has at its upper end the horizontal plate-like portion 92, upon which the under side of the dish 88 rests. This motor has the rear end of its armature shaft 93 .extending into a casing 94 and provided with a worm 95 which meshes with a worm gear-wheel 96, seen in. dotted lines in Fig. 2, which is journaled in the casing 94 and is splined onthe shaft 97, which extends downwardly to the gear casing '98, which it enters, and where it is provided with the worm 99, seen in Fig. 2, which meshes with the worm gear-wheel 100 secured on the stub shaft 101 journaled in said casing, and having at its outer end the clutch member 102 which is adapted to engage with the clutch member 103 secured on the inner end of the shaft 27, "so that when the conveyor mechanism is in place and the motor is operating the rapid rotation of its armature shaft wil through the reduction gearing described, rotate the shaft 27 slowly, so that ,the conveyor chain or belt will pass slowlybetween the spray members. f 1 7 As there will necessarily be water splattered from off of the dishes, I preferably pro- 106 and 107, the transverse bails being numbered 106, and the longitudinal bails numbered 107. These bails have formed in their corners the humps 108, so that when the bails are swung up from the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9 to the full-line position, the humps on the bails engaging the humps on the meeting bails will lock the frame yieldingly in the erected position. When the bails are thus erected, I place on them the flexible cover 109, which is preferably made of a rubber cloth, and is of the shape shown in Fig. 8. The ends 110 which hang down over the bails 106 at the ends are slit, as shown, so that they will offer no substantial resistance to the dishes being shoved into the apparatus and being removed therefrom. The parts 111 constituting the sides of the cover have at their ends the extensions 112, which are adapted to be lapped around the adjacent vertical portions of the bails and caught by reason of the sockets 113 of the fasteners engaging the projecting supports 114 thereof,

it being understood that these fasteners are of the ordinary glove-fastener construction. This cover will be provided with an elongated slot 115 for the spray 67 and 122, rectangular in cross section and provided on its top and bottom sides, near the edges, with rows of perforations 123, and likewise on its sides, near their edges, with similar rows of perforations 124. A cake of soap 125 is placed in the holder, and it is shoved in place, with the rubber gasket 126 interposed between the flanged end of the member 121 and A the adjacent edge of the opening, the connection being made water-tight by means of the yoke.127 pivoted at one end by the screw 128 to a flange on the soap box 66, while the hook 129 on the other end of the yoke engages the corresponding flange on theother side of the soap box 66; When the parts are in place, the

In order to accommodate screw 130 threaded through the yoke is turned to tighten the parts and securely clamp the holder proper in place. When the water rushes through the holder, the perforations 123 and 124 confine its flow so that it operates uniformly on the entire surface of the cake of soap 125, which is gradually consumed during the operation of the dish-washer.

In the illustrations of my invention heretofore considered, the conveyor mechanism has been mounted centrally of the sink, with the faucet in the center. As some sinks have the faucets nearer one end than the other, and as a. consequence it may be necessary sometimes to mount the conveyor to one side, rather than centrally, of the faucets, I can in that case arrange the connections as shown in Fig. 10, where the rinsing spray-pipe connections are the same as before, except that the side of the connection 76 opposite to the pipe 75, instead of being closed by a plug 131, as illustrated in Fig. 2, has the curved pipe 132 leading therefrom and entering the connection of the lower soapy-water spray member, which is now transposed to the other side from where it was before. The arm 52 will be closed by a plug to take the place of the pipe 59, now omitted. To brace the two vertical pipes 74 and 79, I provide the cross piece 133 having the rearwardly-projecting ar1n-134 (indicated only in dotted lines in Fig. 10), and extending back to the rear wall of the sink, which it may penetrate, if desired. At its ends, the cross piece 133 has the two heads 135, through which pass the screws securing said heads to the clips 136 secured on said tubes. These clips are left on the pipes 7 4 and 79 in the central location, as seen in Fig. 2, but in that case have no function except that of providing preparedness for the changed adj ustment. With this arrangement, the single source of water must first. supply the rinsing water, after which the soapy water supply may pass on through the pipe 132.

As the conveyor must now move in the opposite direction on account of the change in the relative location of the soapy and rinsing water spray pipes, the gear casing 98 must be swung around so that theworm 99 will engage the opposite side of the worm gear wheel 100, so that the conveyor will move in the opposite directionwithout reversing the direction of rotation of the motor, which is not ordinarily practicable. With this arrangement also, the dish 88 is preferably shifted to the other position permitted by the use of the other of the two holes therein with which the up er end of the rod 87 may co-operate.

f the conveyor is to be shifted to the left of the position shown in Fig. 2, then the arm 53 is closed by a plug, and the pipe 75 is shifted to the arm 52,; and its lower end, turned in the oppositedirection, is connected to the opposite side of the connection 76 from what it was before, and the pipe 132 connected to the side ,of the connection 76 to which the pipe 75 was-connected in the other arrangements. The pipe 132 is connected at means its outer end to the opposite side of the connection 60, but the osition of the gear casing 98 isnot changed rom that shown in Fig. 2, since the spray pipes will now have the same relative positions as they had in the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, and the direction of movement of the conveyor chain or belt does not have to be changed to get the proper application of the soapy water ahead of the' rinsing water.

To the upper end of the shaft 97, I may removably connect a flexible shaft 137, which may be removed when the dish-washer is to be operated, and replaced when it is not. On the other end of the flexible shaft, I mount a non-rotating handle 138, which, when not in use, may be caught in the spring clip 139 secured to the adjacent end of the dish 88. I have shown a rotary brush 140 as removably connected to the end of the rotary flexible shaft 137, and I contemplate supplying the outfit with various kinds of rotary brushes, scrapers, polishers be interchangeably used on the flexible shaft as they may be needed for cleaning, scouring and polishing the various kitchen or table utensils. lVhen the dish-washer is in use, the brushes, etc., will be removed, and the flexible shaft 137 may be allowed to rotate idly in the handle 138 held in the spring clip While I have herein shown and described a novel rotating scouring brush and motor associated with a kitchen sink, I do not herein claim the same generically, reserving the generic claims for a divisional application.

While I have shown and described my in- Vention as embodied in the forms which I at present consider best adapted to carry out its purposes, it will be understood that it is capable of modifications, and that I do not desire to be limited in the interpretation'of the following claims except as may be necessitated by the stateof the prior art.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

-1. In a dish-washin machine, the combination'with a portable frame-work, of a skeleton carrier mounted for movement therein, a sink. in which the frame-work is placed, a spray member to spray water on the carrier, connections from the sink water supply to the spray member, a motor mounted on the sink, and gearing from the motor to the carrier including a separable clutch so that the frame- Work and carrier can be removed, leaving the motor in an operative position.

2. In a dish-washing machine, the combination with a portable frame-work, of a skeleton carrier mounted for movement therein, a'sink in which the frame-work is placed, a spray member to spray water on the carrier, connections fromthe sink water supply to the spray member a motor mounted on the sink,

and gearing rom the motor to the carrier etc., which can includingaseparable clutch so that the framethe spray member,

work and carrier can be removed, leaving the motor in an operative position, said gearing including a worm 0n the armature shaft, a worm wheel with which the worm meshes, and a shaft extending downwardly from the worm wheel and operatively connected through said clutch to the carrier.

3. In a dish-washing machine, the co1nbir nation with a portable ame-work, of a skeleton carrier mounted for movement therein, a sink in which the frame-work is placed, a spray member to spray water on the carrier, connections from the sink water supply to the spray member, a motor mounted on the sink, and gearing from the motor to the carrier such that the frame-work and carrier can be removed, leaving the motor in an operative position, said gearing including a worm on the armature shaft, a worm wheel with which the worm meshes and a shaft extending downwardly from the worm wheel, a second worm on the lower end of the downwardly extending shaft, asecond worm gear wheel with which the second worm meshes, a shaft to which the second worm'wheel is secured, a clutch member on said last mentioned shaft, and a separable clutch member cooperating with the first clutch member and operatively connected to t e carrier.

4. In a dis washing machine, the combination with a portable frame-work, of a skeleton carrier mounted for movement therein, a sink in which the frame-work is-placed, a spray member to spray water on the carrier, connections from the sink a motor mounted on the sink, and gearing from the motor to the carrier such that the frame-work and carrier can be removed, leaving the motor in an operative positiomsaid gearing including a worm on the armature shaft, a worm wheel with which the worm meshes and a shaft extending downwardly from the worm wheel, a

second worm on the lowennend of the downwardly extending shaft, a second worm gear wheel with which the second worm meshes a shaft to which the second worm gear whee is secured, a'clutch member on said last men-' tionedshaft, a separable clutch member '00- operating ,wlth. the first clutch member, a, horizontal shaft journaled in the framework, on the inner end of which the separable clutch member is secured, and a gear member carr ed by the horizontal shaft driving the carrier.

5 In a dish-washing machine, the combi natlon w1tha frame-work,of a carrier mounted for movement tHerein, a sink provided with a mixer removably recelving the frame-work,

a pair of spray members having soap holdin mechanisms associated therewith, a secon 7 pair of spray members without soap holding mechanisms each of's'aid pairs of spray-members belng solocated as to spray the top and water supply to the carrier'on which the dishes at its upper end under sides of the portion of the carrier on which the dishes are placed, and connections from the mixer of the sink to said pairsof spray members, the connections to one of said spray members comprising a vertical pipe connected at its upper end to the mixer and having an elbow in its lower end, a connection for said lower end, and a pipe leading to one of the spray members swiveled in said connection.

6, In a dish-washing machine, the combi- I nation with a frame-work, of a carrier mount- I ed for movement therein, a" sink provided with a mixer removably receiving the frame-' work, a pair of spray members having soap holding mechanisms associated therewith, a

second pair of spray members without soap said pairs of spray members, the connections to two of the spray members comprising a vertical pipe connected at its upper end to the mixer and having an elbow in its lower end, a connection for said lower end, a pipe leading to one of said spray members swiveled in said connection, an intermediate-pipe leading from said connection, a second connection on'the other end of'said intermediate pipe, and a pipe leading to the other of the spray members swiveled in the last mentioned connection.

7. In a dish-washing machine, the combination with a frame-work, of a carrier mounted for vmovement therein, a sink provided with a mixer removably receiving the frame work, a. pair of spray members having soap holdingumechanisms associated therewith, a second pair of spray members without soap holding mechanisms, spray members being so located as to spray the top and the undersides of the portion of are placed, and connections from the mixer of the sink each of said pairs ofto said-pairs of spray members the connections to two of the spray-members comprising a pair of vertical pipes each connected ing an elbow in its lower end, a connection for ,eachof said lower ends, and a pairof pipes leading to each of the two spray members swiveled in' each 'of-saidlower end connections 1 In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand,'this1st day of December, 1928,

- WALDEMAR to the mixer and each hav-' L; 'LINDGRENL" 

